Beatrice de Offley

The Chronicle of Abingdon records that "Walterus filius Oteri, castellanus de Uuildesore" restored "duas silvas…Virdelæ et Basceat, apud Winckefeld nostram villam" to the abbot of Abingdon, dated to [1100/16], and that "uxorem suam Beatricem cum filio suo Willelmo" effected the transfer 8 Sep. (Chronicon Monasterii de Abingdon, Vol. II, p. 132. http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/ENGLISHNOBILITYMEDIEVAL3T-Z.htm#_To...

She may have been a Staffordshire Offley, rather than from Offaly in Ireland. The Offley family was in residence at High Offley within a century of this time. ("Offley" is a Saxon, not an Irish, name, deriving from "Offa" (Saxon name, in fact the name of one of the most powerful Kings of Mercia) and "-leage", woodland clearing.)

There is also some question as to whether Great Offley in Herts, or High Offley in Staffordshire, is the older. The Hertfordshire and Staffordshire Offleys are both listed in Domesday, and each as two associated properties - Great and Little Offley in Hertfordshire (Offelie and Altera Offelie), and High Offley (Offelie) and Bishops Offley (Offeleia) in Staffordshire.

The assertion that she was "Gladys [ferth] Ryall ap Conyn" is modern, bogus, and may originate from - was certainly popularized by - the infamous Emma Siggins White. Emma, or her source, seems to have gotten Gerald of Windsor's *mother* (documented in at least one place as "Beatrice") mashed up with his *mother-in-law*: Gwladys ferth Rhiwallon (ap Cynan), wife of Rhys ap Tewdwr and mother of Nesta ferth Rhys. (Then she, or her source, hideously garbled the name on top of it.)